The invention relates to hardware and more particularly to a window lock mechanism and still more particularly to a cover for a window sash lock mechanism.
It is known that window sash locks are commonly attached to a window sash by fasteners, typically screws. A portion of the fastener, typically a screw head, remains exposed to view during the useful life of the sash lock.
It is also known that window hardware including sash locks serve an aesthetic or decorative purpose as well as a functional or mechanical purpose.
The aesthetic purpose of a sash lock is often degraded by the presence of exposed fasteners. Fasteners often rust or exhibit burrs or other damage which contrast starkly with a neat aesthetic design of the sash lock and other window hardware.
It is known that the aesthetic qualities of the sash lock fasteners may be improved by covering the fasteners together with the sash lock with one or more coats of paint. However painting the fasteners typically provides only marginal aesthetic improvement. Furthermore, paint often chips thereby causing a more significantly deteriorated appearance of the fasteners.
Plugs are known to be used for covering fasteners in the carpentry art wherein plugs are press fit into fastener holes that guide countersunk fasteners. Such plugs are not suitable where the fastener is not countersunk into a fastener hole. Window sash lock bases are frequently not deep enough to provide sufficient countersink depth to facilitate using such plugs. Furthermore, such plugs may provide only marginal aesthetic improvement to an exposed fastener.
Accordingly, the invention comprises a window sash lock base cover which fits over at least a substantial portion of the sash lock base and completely covers the sash lock base fasteners. The sash lock base cover is typically a molded plastic design but may also be formed as a metal stamping or fabricated from any suitable material. A molded plastic housing cover provides for custom color, style and texture variations.
The sash lock base cover may be attached to the sash lock base by either a snap fit or an interference fit to the sash lock base. Both snap fit and interference fit designs provide for easy removal and reinstallation of the sash lock base cover.
It is a principal advantage of the invention to provide an easily installable aesthetic improvement to window sash locks. It is another advantage of the invention to provide that the aesthetic improvement be easily changed, modified or replaced for aesthetic variation or further aesthetic improvement.